Question

1. assignment 03

8 july 2026

question 1

mother tongue in the foundation phase

read the following two case studies and answer the questions that follow.

case study 1: hamida

hamidas mother tongue is konkani, a language spoken mainly in goa but also in other parts of india, including villages and towns in the state of maharashtra. her mother tongues, as determined by internal identification, are konkani and english (english only by external identification). one explanation for the difference between internal and external identification is that, in south africa, few adults, and even fewer children, of indian origin can speak an indian language. very few adults of hamidas generation, and hardly anyone younger, still speak their \languages of origin\.

in south africa, it is assumed that english is \indians\ mother tongue; in most cases, this assumption is correct. regarding both competence and function, hamidas mother tongue would be english. however, if we were to follow skutnabb-kangass approach to describing her language biography, hamida could include afrikaans under competence, even though her proficiency in afrikaans is not as strong as in english in productive skills such as speaking and writing. she also has limited competence in isixhosa.

1.1 explain how hamidas different mother tongue identities (origin, internal identification and external identification) may influence her learning experiences in the foundation phase. (2)
1.2 describe why it is important for foundation phase teachers to recognise learners home languages and cultural backgrounds, even when english is the dominant language used at school. (2)
1.3 reflect on how using english as the main language of learning and teaching may affect hamidas connection to her language of origin, konkani. (2)
1.4 suggest two strategies that a foundation phase teacher could use to support multilingual learners like hamida in the classroom. (2)

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Language Biography in Education
How a learner's diverse linguistic identities shape their classroom experiences.

Step 1: Analyze Hamida's mother tongue identities (Question 1.1)

Hamida's linguistic identity is complex, consisting of:

• Language of origin: Konkani (heritage connection, but not her primary functional language).
• Internal identification: Konkani and English (how she personally identifies her linguistic roots).
• External identification: English (how society and the school system perceive her primary language).

In the Foundation Phase, these differing identities can influence her learning experiences in two main ways:

1. Cognitive and Academic Alignment: Because her functional mother tongue (external/competence-based) is English, she will easily access the English-medium curriculum. However, her internal connection to Konkani is ignored by the curriculum, which can lead to a sense of cultural invisibility.
2. Social-Emotional Belonging: If the school only recognizes her external identity (English), she may feel pressured to assimilate, leading to a disconnect between her home heritage (Konkani) and her school identity.

Step 2: Importance of recognizing home languages and cultures (Question 1.2)

Even when English is the dominant medium of instruction, Foundation Phase teachers must recognize learners' home languages and cultural backgrounds because:

1. Validation and Self-Esteem: Acknowledging a child's home language validates their identity, boosting their self-esteem, confidence, and emotional security, which are critical for early learning.
2. Scaffolding and Cognitive Development: Children do not leave their home languages at the classroom door. Recognizing their linguistic backgrounds allows teachers to build on their existing prior knowledge, facilitating smoother conceptual transitions and cognitive development.

Step 3: Reflect on the impact of English as the main language of teaching on her language of origin (Question 1.3)

Using English as the primary language of learning and teaching (LoLT) is highly likely to accelerate the loss of Hamida's connection to Konkani:

1. Language Shift and Attrition: Since English dominates her academic, social, and functional environments, her exposure to and active use of Konkani will diminish, leading to gradual language attrition.
2. Marginalization of Heritage: When a heritage language has no functional or academic value in the school environment, the learner may internalize the idea that it is less valuable, leading to a psychological and cultural disconnect from her community's language of origin.

Step 4: Suggest two classroom strategies for supporting multilingual learners (Question 1.4)

To support multilingual learners like Hamida, a Foundation Phase teacher can implement the following two strategies:

1. Translanguaging Practices: Allow and encourage learners to use their home languages alongside English during peer discussions, brainstorming, or storytelling to help them process complex concepts.
2. Inclusive Multilingual Print Environment: Create a classroom rich in diverse languages by displaying multilingual posters, labels, and books that feature words from the learners' home languages (e.g., greetings in Konkani, isiXhosa, and Afrikaans).

---

Answer:

1.1 Influence of Hamida's mother tongue identities on her learning:

• Academic Ease vs. Cultural Invisibility: Because her functional language is English (external identification), she will navigate the English curriculum easily. However, because her heritage language, Konkani (internal identification/origin), is not represented, her cultural identity remains invisible in the classroom.
• Identity Conflict: She may experience a disconnect between her home identity (where Konkani represents her heritage) and her school identity, potentially leading to assimilation pressure where English is prioritized at the expense of her cultural roots.

1.2 Importance of recognizing home languages and cultural backgrounds:

• Promotes Belonging and Self-Esteem: Validating a child's home language makes them feel valued and secure, which is essential for emotional well-being and active participation in the Foundation Phase.
• Supports Cognitive Scaffolding: It allows teachers to connect new school concepts to the child's existing linguistic and cultural prior knowledge, making learning more meaningful.

1.3 Impact of English as LoLT on her connection to Konkani:

• Language Attrition: Constant exposure to English as the high-status language of instruction will likely reduce her opportunities to hear and speak Konkani, leading to a gradual loss of proficiency.
• Cultural Disconnection: As English dominates her functional life, she may view Konkani as irrelevant to her academic and social success, weakening her connection to her family's language of origin.

1.4 Two strategies to support multilingual learners:

1. Translanguaging: Encourage learners to use their home languages during collaborative group work or peer discussions to help them make sense of new concepts.
2. Multilingual Classroom Environment: Display multilingual print, signs, and greetings around the classroom, and include diverse storybooks that reflect the different languages and cultures of the learners.